Whispers in the Dark
by Santoryuu3
Summary: Sequel to SoL. The Straw Hats are braving the New World. Zoro and Robin have made it official. But one night, Zoro storms off in anger, and someone with the power of the Soul Soul Fruit extracts the souls of the pirates, including Brook's, locking them inside puppets and stealing away into the night. Now it's Zoro's turn to save Robin, setting out alone to save his nakama.
1. The Mysterious Box

**Hello, reader, and welcome to **_**Whispers in the Dark, **_**the sequel to my previous story, **_**the Stuff of Legends. **_**You do not need to have read that in order to understand the plot of this, but any references I may make to it will be better understood if you skim it.**

**If you're lazy like me and don't feel like it, don't worry. It won't impact the storyline so much as to the point of absolute and utter confusion.**

**To those who followed SoL so diligently, great to see you! The long awaited sequel is here. I mentioned in SoL that I would try out a new updating pattern here, and I'm going to explain it;**

**In order to quicken my updates, I won't post a chapter until the chapter following it is done. Which means, as I post this, chapter 2 is already done and I'm working on Chapter 3. It also gives me time to read over it several times, make changes and correct mistakes.**

**All quotes are linked to the events in the chapter. Some you have to really think about it, but others are straightforward. All will be taken from One Piece, and referenced. If I don't know who made the quote, it will be labeled as **_**Anonymous.**_

**That being said, please enjoy the first chapter of **_**Whispers in the Dark.**_

Chapter 1 – The Mysterious Box

"_Let the heavens deal with life and death;  
even the most fearful lose to that.  
Let's live for another moment."  
- Marshall D. Teach_

_Zoro POV_

Being the master swordsman I was, I had full confidence in my ability to overcome any obstacle. I had fought monstrous crabs, giant sea kings, rival swordsmen, obnoxious marines and a giraffe man, zombies, the kraken and fishmen, and had come out virtually unscathed every time. Since my vow to never lose again, I had in my personal opinion, never lost a battle. I was confident I had absolutely no weaknesses.

Until Robin, that is. That woman was my only weakness. Just that mysterious smile, slim legs and incredible intellect drew my attention like a moth to flame when I was trying to preoccupy myself with other things like training. The fact that I even gave in to the temptations drove me mad. And Robin knew it.

She would poke me from halfway across the room, chuckling when I glared around for the culprit. She played footsie with me under the table during meals, and watched me train. The last one wasn't quite as different from the past, only now I had worked harder and dispelled foreign self-consciousness. Call it what you will: showing off, working hard, impressing a woman, but it all was lumped into one giant mess of sweat and concentration.

Then again, I didn't exactly discourage any of her childish antics. She may steal a kiss, but I'm the one who gets it back. She watches me, and I watch her. There was a mutual understanding between us that didn't need to be expressed in words. Nami attempted to interfere often, trying to deepen our relationship in somewhat unnecessary ways, for instance stealing Robin's clothes while she was in the shower, forcing her to wear only a revealing bikini for a few days. Ero-cook, of course fell all over himself with joy, and while I admit the heat in my abdomen was intense and lustful, I didn't want to give the witch satisfaction. Robin realized it as well and after the first day used a bed sheet as a dress. When I commented on how it looked, she flushed and we didn't need to ask what the other was thinking of.

A fight was rare, and often over something petty like if she could join me in town so I wouldn't get lost or if I wanted to sit somewhere unexpected and someone tripped. Not my fault, they should be watching where they're going. Most of these arguments Robin won, but only because I let her. More often than not, our verbal battle was resolved with a kiss.

But after one particularly intense disagreement, she and I were left alone in the women's room, me standing by the door and Robin sitting on the bed, rubbing her arms as though cold, though I knew it was her way of communicating discomfort. There was an awkward silence as the sounds of Luffy and Usopp horsing around on deck drifted through the door.

"Look, Robin," I finally mumbled, scratching the back of my head agitatedly. I never was good at apologies. "I'm... sorry... I yelled and…"

"No," Robin interrupted, standing. "I'm the one who should apologize. I overreacted and judged the situation incorrectly."

I chuckled. "Accepted."

She crossed the room, wrapping her arms around my torso in an intimate embrace. I returned it, breathing in the flowery scent of her hair. When she eventually tried to pull away, I turned and brought her with me, pressing the raven-haired beauty against the wall, restricting her movements as I leaned into her, closing the distance between us and bringing our lips together in a soft kiss, silently locking the door.

Her initial surprise ebbed away, and she accepted the contact with vigor, lips soft and plush. She forced my jaw open with her tongue, exploring my mouth was a merciless force. I responded with an equal amount of power, pulling her her even closer, bodies folding perfectly into one another.

"I like your hair," I murmured in a brief moment of clarity.

"What?"

"I never complimented your hair after the past two years. I like it.."

She flushed a deeper shade of red. "Thank you."

I captured her lips again.

Someone jiggled the knob to the women's quarters, surprised at finding it locked. "Hey, Robin," Nami's voice spoke on the other side. "Open up, I need a shower."

"Not now," Robin spoke, voice a bit breathless. "Zoro and I are in the middle of something."

A pregnant silence. Then, "Holy shit!" Nami screeched. "What the hell is going on in there!"

"Please don't disturb us," Robin continued, her hands sliding my yukata from my shoulders, leaving my chest bare. An animalistic grin flashed in her eyes, and I caught on immediately, an excited grin curling my lips.

"Don't touch my stuff!" Nami warned, but whatever was said after that was tuned out as the archaeologist reconnected us without a breath of hesitation.

Needless to say, neither of us got much sleep that night.

.o0o.

_Robin POV_

The next several days passed without turmoil, save for the band of rogues who ambushed us on the last island. Unfortunately, most of the bandits perished in the struggle, burning to death after the forest caught fire due to Luffy's _Red Hawk _technique. For a band of rogues, the men were fiercely strong, but not strong enough to withstand the flames. I could smell the stench of burning flesh as we fled the scene.

A week after the rogue incident, the sun had granted us that of a burning desert, drying our bodies in seconds the moment we stepped from the shade. My plants withered, the grassy lawn turning a sickly shade of brown. And yet despite the heat, Luffy and Usopp raced almost naked over the deck, spraying each other with the hose.

Poor Chopper was holed up inside; his fur coat would fry him in milliseconds in this heat. Nami had withdrawn to the depths of the ship, taking advantage of the temporary calm to sketch in the topographic measurements of the latest island. Sanji had promised cool drinks, Franky offering to help yet barely fitting inside the kitchen. Brook played soft music on his violin, being unable to feel hot or cold, while I reclined on my usual deck chair, Zoro propped up on my bare legs with our skin sticking together thanks to the sweat. Zoro had taken it upon himself to not wear sunscreen and attempt to take the heat head on only in swimming trunks. The little care he gave to his body made me wonder if the man was impregnable to weather's fury.

"Ah, hold on a sec," Usopp giggled, blocking his eyes from Luffy's aquatic assault. "My newest invention should make this more fun!"

"Go get it!" Luffy demanded, raising the hose into the air and making the water fountain over the deck. The drops that landed on my skin sizzled on contact, yet felt nicely refreshing.

Usopp disappeared below deck as Sanji emerged from the kitchen, Franky right behind. "Robin-chwan!" the chef sang, twirling down the stairs in his bathing trunks, sunglasses perched on the edge of his nose. He proffered the drink tray, iced light blue liquid clinking merrily against the glass. "A drink to drive out the heat."

I smiled and accepted the glass. "Thank you, Sanji-san."

"Yo, cook," Zoro piped up. "I want one."

His demand was met with getting a face full of the yummy drink. In no time, the swordsman and cook engaged in a deadly game of tag, Luffy, Brook, Franky and I laughing at their exploits.

"OI!" The door to the lower decks flew open, and an enraged Usopp appeared in the frame, hands firmly on his hips. "Who the hell is stealing my stuff? Is it you, Franky!?"

"Chill, Long-nose-bro," the esteemed shipwright raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. "I don't take your stuff."

"Then who the hell is stealing the lumber I use for my projects?"

"Lumber?" Luffy cocked his head.

"Yeah. Some went missing yesterday, too, but I thought I just misplaced a board. But now I'm certain someone's stealing. This time an entire stack of boards is gone, and it doesn't just sprout legs and walk away!"

"I don't know what to tell you," Sanji sighed, ending his and Zoro's confrontation and lighting a fresh cigarette, flicking sweaty hair from his eye. "But we'll just get you new wood at the next island."

"You know…" Chopper's voice panted from the entrance to the sick bay. Everyone looked to the doctor, who was doing his best to shield himself from the sun's blistering heat. "Some of my herbs have been going missing, too…"

Sanji narrowed his eyes. "Now that I think about it, even though the fridge is locked, I've noticed some of the canned food from the cabinets aren't there." He immediately glared in Luffy's direction. The captain shrank into himself at his cook's menacing glare. "Though I think I know the culprit."

"I swear it wasn't me!" Luffy protested feebly, not helping his case at all.

I smiled coyly, standing from my chair and joining the crowd that had gathered. "It appears we have a thief aboard the Sunny," I summarized. "All that's left is the identity of the culprit and what they would need with wood, food, and herbs."

"Add ink to that list." Nami emerged on deck, stripping her shirt to reveal her bikini underneath and making the cook fall over backward. "A lot of my rare colored ink is missing, too. And I only use it for labels, so I only have to restock every other island. But all my bottles aren't where I put them last."

"Oh," Usopp sighed. "I thought since Nami was a thief before she joined…"

"Do you want to finish that sentence?" The navigator asked dangerously, pulling on the liar's cheek threateningly.

"Not really…"

"In any case," I said, breaking apart the confrontation. "The culprit has to still be on board. We should –"

"Oi," Luffy spoke, and the crew fell silent, looking toward our captain for instruction. If there was a thief on board, it was his job to decide how we deal with it. His head was bent low as he spoke, and that strange air drew around him like it usually did when he was going to say something deep and philosophical.

Only too late did I realize his left arm was stretched out and slowly retracting, dragging something along with it. I followed his arm with my eyes only, and inwardly smirked as I slowly took a step back.

Luffy grinned widely, bringing up his head to show off the mischievous glint in his eyes. In one fluid motion, he brought the hose up in front of him and let the water spray out, dousing everyone in a heartbeat. "Gotcha!" he chanted, dancing away from the onslaught of feet, swords, electric spheres, raging plants, and homing missiles.

I laughed merrily as the crew gave chase to their captain, covering my mouth with a hand to stifle the sound. The subject of the stolen goods was quickly suppressed from our minds, which in hindsight should have been given more attention, because if we had known what they were being used for, a lot of trouble could have been avoided.

.o0o.

"Hey, what's this weird box?"

Nami and I stepped from the women's quarters, a week following the blistering hot day. Now in contrast, the deck was lightly dusted with a blanket of snow, and the crew was bundled in our warmest attire. Breath escaped our lips in chilling clouds, dissipating in the air to be followed immediately by another.

Luffy, in his red-and-white striped coat he had kept from Punk Hazard, was kneeling by the swing on deck, dragging a large wooden box from behind the thick trunk. Usopp, wearing six layers, helped him maneuver the crate to the center of the deck, a completely confortable Chopper watching excitedly. Sanji dished out hot cocoa to the remaining members, and as soon as the navigator and I made an appearance, he almost seemed to teleport to our sides, handing us the warmest cups.

I thanked him and pulled my coat tighter, descending the staircase to stand near Zoro, who smiled briefly as I approached before returning his attention to Luffy and Usopp. I nestled into his shoulder, savoring the heat emitted by his body. It was so pleasant, to have the warmth of life rolling from him in waves; sometimes it took that heat to remind me that our endeavors on Myth Island had succeeded, and then memories of what would have happened had we failed clouded my subconscious.

"What's up?" Zoro's gruff voice asked suddenly, and I looked up at him.

"What?"

"You're crying."

I lifted a hand to my cheek, wiping away the salty tear about to freeze to my face. "So I am."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I admitted with a laugh, pressing into him harder. "I'm just happy."

He put a hand on my shoulder as we watched Franky produce a crowbar from who knows where and proceed to peel the lid off the crate. The top had been frozen to the rest of the box, and a sudden air of caution narrowed my eyes. A random box, not belonging to any of us, appeared in the middle of the night, hidden away in secrecy? It was like it had "trap" written across it in big red letters.

"There we go!" Franky rejoiced, retracing his blowtorch back into his palm. The lid slid easily off and crunched in the snow. The Straw Hats all gathered around, peering into the box individually.

"Oh, cool!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly.

"So cute!" Nami gushed.

"What the hell is it?" Sanji muttered.

"They got it eerily accurate…" Brook whispered.

"KYA! Voodoo!" Usopp screeched.

Inside the box were nine puppets. The wood was smoothed to perfection, painted with the utmost care and precision, not a line out of place. Clothes sewn on to perfectly fit the shape of the body. The scariest part, however, were the doll's faces, each bearing a Straw Hat pirates' likeness.

Luffy stroked the puppet that represented himself, pulling at its red cardigan and imitating its wide grin. Its sandals had been painted, but the straw hat was detachable and hung around the puppet's neck by a string. The hair was jet black and appeared to have been inserted into the wood itself, rustling in the snowy air. He held it next to himself and asked Usopp if it looked like him.

The sniper was too preoccupied with his own replica to answer. The artist had even carved out his long nose, albeit the length was a bit exaggerated. "Voodoo… voodoo…." The poor sharpshooter muttered, but I could detect the ghost of a smile beneath the worried frown.

Franky wasted no time criticizing his doll. "My shoulders are not this small and my hair is way more super than this!" he mumbled angrily, pressing a small button on the doll's shoulder to release a hatch and reveal his cola abdomen.

Sanji appeared grateful that his puppet's hair had been glued to his face, painted eyebrow spiraling down. He poked and prodded it, occasionally making odd comments about the craftsmanship.

Brook didn't have much to say about his skeleton puppet dressed as Soul King. The tuft of hair on its head to represent his afro appeared to disappoint the musician, but the guitar could be played with the puppet's fingers, and that seemed to make up for it. "Yohohoho!" he laughed, practicing _Bink's Sake _on the tiny instrument.

Nami fawned over her puppet like it was her own child, stroking its hair with her fingers and fondling the bikini strap. The three log poses on its arm rotated on their own and she found this delightful.

Chopper's doll was in his Brain Point form, a stick of painted cotton candy in his hoof. The doctor rolled in the snow with his new toy, laughing merrily like a newborn babe. The doll was completely covered with a soft fluff almost identical to the reindeer's original pelt which raised my suspicions higher.

"The hell is this?" Zoro growled, pulling the tiny Wado Ichimonji from its wooden sheath. "This thing looks nothing like me." I begged to differ. The amount of detail was exquisite, down to the skin tones. The yukata fit perfectly, the small swords tucked through the haramaki. I laughed when the doll's face met my eyes, the irked frown and narrow eyes a solid match.

"Someone has done their research," I murmured, stroking my doll's smooth hair. My duplicate looked back up at me, a sly look on her features. I moved her sunglasses over the eyes, fingering the doll cautiously, like any moment a bomb might erupt and spill our innards on the deck, an unfortunate sight for the next person to come across us.

"I wonder who left these here," Nami wondered aloud, seating the mini-Nami on her shoulder.

"Who cares?" Luffy giggled, leaping around the deck with his replica and attempting to do battle with Chopper, who agreed to the challenge.

"Well they did a super job, I guess," Franky finally admitted. "Whoever they are."

I said nothing, my guard going up. Mysterious dolls all looking like us? This was a recipe for disaster, and the Straw Hat pirates had just been thrust into the middle of it. Whatever _it _was.

"Sanji! Lunch!"

"I guess it is about that time, isn't it? Fine, give me a few minutes."

"But I want some now."

"BE PATIENT."

I continued a thorough examination of my tiny replica as the rest of the crew filed into the kitchen for a hearty meal. There didn't seem to be any real threat directly from the puppet, except from the eerily accurate expressions. I would have stood there longer had Zoro not taken my arm gently and guided me to the kitchen.

"Forget about the thing," he said. "It's stupid." His hand tightened around his doll. "Someone's just trying to scare us."

I could tell he was a bit unnerved by the arrival of the puppets; he was on guard as well. But I allowed the mysterious origin of the marionettes to be put on hold as the delicious scents of a deli lunch filled my nostrils. I smiled and took his hand. "You'll protect me, right?"

His complexion took a red tint. "Yeah."

I laughed and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Hungry?"

**Chapter 1, complete. Thanks for reading, it's appreciated. Drop me a review if you would, and I'll get back to you next chapter. It's already been written, but I'm just waiting to finish chapter 3 before it's posted.**

**Once again, thank you very much if you're a new reader, and if you're an old follower of SoL, I hope this sequel lives up to your expectations.**

**Coming Up: Chapter 2 – Creature in the Night**


	2. Creature in the Night

**Enter Chapter 2! I wasn't expecting as much feedback from chapter 1 as there was, and I'm thankful to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed. I don't want to drag anything out in the storyline, so it'll start getting spicy right about now. Let's see if you can take it. ;D I'm sorry it's not a very long chapter, but that's really all I needed. Please don't be angry with me. :)**

**Review Corner:**

**dukefan01** – Zoro'll protect Robin to the ends of the earth, even if he won't openly admit it. XD Thanks for your review!

**shadowangel9999** – Usopp would think they're voodoo dolls, wouldn't he? And wow, you're good. :) The details behind that scheme will be revealed soon. Enjoy the update!

**NinjaSheik – **Well, thank you. :) Well… I hate to say it, but that good look at their relationship will be shattered this chapter… heh… heh…

**Jabrax13 – **You think everything makes Zoro and Robin look perfect together. XD If that sinking feeling is coming from Teen Titans, then you may have something. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, though. Enjoy!

**KaizokuGari20 – **I shall reply to both your wonderful reviews, then. ;D Thank you very much, I try not to make the story seemed too rushed, but I have no inkling as to how long this story will last, so I figured I might as well go ahead and introduce the puppets. Enjoy the update, and thanks for the review!

**armaani – **I wish I was at a One Piece exhibition and had an action figure of all the characters. Duh! X appears in X episode of the Xth arc of the second season of X show. Any otaku knows that. Enjoy the update, and thank you for your review!

**Broken Elsewhere – **I'm glad it lives up to your expectations. As for maturity, I think Zoro has his immaturely dense moments that really round out this otherwise very complex yet straightforward character. Thank you for your support, and please enjoy the update.

**Seis Fleur – **Thank. You. Very. Much. :D

**UltimateC3 – **I had the first chapter completed by Chapter 15 of SoL, so I just had to finish this chapter 2 before posting. Now I have to start chapter 4 because chapter 3 is already completed and it's going to take a while. I hope this will at least hold everyone over.

**Higanbana.4 – **To be honest, me too. I was expecting another week and a half, but it actually came pretty quick (not helping that it's kinda short… sorry. :( ) Thanks for your review, and enjoy the update!

**DinieLuvYunho – **Romantic Zoro is kinda scary, wouldn't you think? Imagine Zoro twirling around singing _Mellorine~! _…. *shudders * As for keeping his word, you'll have to read and find out what happens next! Thanks for your review, and I hope you enjoy!

**Enjoy the update, everyone! :D**

Chapter 2 – Creature in the Night

"_Men who can't wipe the  
tears from a woman's eyes  
can't call themselves real men."  
Sanji_

_Robin POV_

"Roronoa Zoro, you get back in here right now!" I screeched, blooming hands from the floor and wrapping them around his ankles to prevent the man from walking any further. However, he wrenched his feet from my grip and strode to the door, wrenching it open so hard to crashed into the wall and put a hole where the knob had penetrated the wood. "I'm not done with you!"

Zoro turned his head over his shoulder, eyes dark with fury. "You're either brave or stupid to try and stop me," he hissed, low voice dripping with malice. "You're a smart woman, Robin. You decide which you are."

He stood in the doorframe to the women's quarters, taking up the entire space and blocking the sunlight from penetrating the room; the temperature dropped a few degrees as I was engulfed in shadows. The strain of his muscles was evident beneath his yukata, a clear sign he was agitated and wanted alone time. I wasn't about to let him have it.

"I told you because I knew you could trust me!" I yelled, forcing the pressure behind my eyes to subside. "Was I wrong to confide in you first before telling any of the others?"

"Maybe you were," he growled. "Maybe I was better off not knowing."

My eyes hardened. Wrapping a hand around the closest thing to me, I chucked it with all my might toward the back of his head. His Haki kicked into action, and he caught the coffee cup before it connected with the back of his skull, splattering the scalding liquid across the back of his hand and dripping on the carpet. "Don't you dare walk out that door," I warned.

He dropped the cup to the ground, splitting it into several small pieces. My heart wrenched; that one had been my favorite. "You get rid of it," he said. "Or you get rid of me." His part done, Zoro barreled out of the room and onto the balcony, shouldering past Nami who had just been walking towards us.

"Oi, Zoro!" she reprimanded. "Watch it!"

He didn't respond, continuing down the stairs and across the deck toward the railing. Nami sucked on her teeth as she turned toward me. "Oi, Robin. What was that abo—"

I quickly wiped away the tear that had just slid down my cheek, turning away from the orange-haired navigator. "Nothing. It was nothing."

I couldn't fool her, though. "SANJI!" she yelled immediately, summoning the cook from the kitchen where he had been preparing dinner.

"What does my mistress demand of me, Nami-swan?" the blonde swooned, spinning through the door.

"Zoro made Robin cry," she told him, which was enough for Sanji's entire demeanor to darken.

"That shitty marimo," he growled, locating the green-haired swordsman, who was walking the gangplank toward the island we had docked at for the night.

"What did he do, Robin?" Nami asked gently, leaving the two men to their quarrel and closing the door to the women's dorm. "You can tell me."

I sniffed sharply and walked to the window, drawing back the curtains to watch Zoro throw the cook away from him and turn sharply on his heel, disappearing into the forested island. The sun was beginning to set and dinner would be served soon; I hoped he would return before then. "Nothing," I said quietly.

"You can't fool me, Robin," Nami insisted, settling on her bed. "You can tell me."

I looked at her, at the warm chocolate eyes she possessed, kind eyes, eyes that would understand my plight, maybe not from experience, but as a fellow woman. I gave in and sat across from her, my hands folded in my lap. "I told him something," I started. "Something he didn't want to hear."

Nami was a good listener. She nodded at all the right moments, and kept quiet through the backstory for what I was about to tell her. I had wanted Zoro to be the first, and then I would confide in the rest of the crew, but because Nami was my roommate and closest friend, my heart opened to let her inside

"Eh!" Nami squealed. "No way!"

"Please keep your voice low," I whispered. "I don't think I want the others to know just yet."

"But Robin, they'll be so happy, especially Luffy!"

I avoided her eyes. "I understand that, but I wanted Zoro to be the first one to know, after all."

Nami twisted her lips. "Well, when that guy comes back, I'll electrocute him until he agrees. That bastard walking out on you in your moment of need!"

"I appreciate your concern, but I need to handle this on my own," I interrupted. "This is between the swordsman and I, and I'm afraid that if you butt in, you'll be in the line of fire. Please keep this from the crew; I don't want them to worry about me."

Nami's mouth closed slowly, slowly coming to a decision. She nodded silently as Sanji's voice floated through the closed door. "Nami-swan, Robin-chwan! Dinner is ready!"

.o0o.

Dinner commenced with the same energy as most other meals, minus the swordsman of course. Luffy still nabbed chunks of food from the others' plates, and he cried out when he nearly got a fork through the hand thanks to Franky keeping an extra-close eye on his potatoes. Chopper and Usopp, who had grown on his little marionette, tried to have their dolls feed them the rice, and this ultimately ended up with the grains all over the floor. Most of the Straw Hats in the room had their doll with them, slung over their shoulder or tucked in a pocket or bra strap. My doll I had tucked in my skirt, wooden arms clicking together when I shifted.

I picked at my food, barely eating. Nami, of course, noticed, but respectfully didn't point it out. My lack of appetite did not fail to be noticed by the conjurer of the fine meal, and he approached me with more of a concerned brother rather than jealous lover.

"Robin-chan, please eat," Sanji urged. "I know the bastard made you upset, so please allow my fabulous cooking to convince you to return to me instead!"

I took back my previous statement.

"I'm sorry, Sanji-san," I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm just not hungry tonight. Can I just have some coffee?"

"Of course, my love!"

"Hey, Robin, are you gonna eat that?" Luffy asked through a mouthful of food.

I chuckled half-heartedly and pushed my plate across the table to him, and Luffy pounced. I accepted the mug of steaming brown delight and stood, making my way out to the grassy deck. I sat in my sun chair and let down the umbrella, allowing the full expanse of the starry night to be unveiled before me. The night was warm with a gentle breeze from the ocean bringing with it the scent of salt and sand.

I took a sip of the coffee and pulled out my wooden replica, staring at its elegant face moodily. They had only come the day before yesterday, and I had unwillingly grown an attachment to the puppet. It's smile still unnerved me, however, and I tried to avoid looking at it. It reminded me too much of the person I used to be. Since we reached this island around lunch earlier today, the events aboard the ship had been mostly reserved to examining and playing with the dolls. Until tonight.

My thoughts drifted to the wandering swordsman. Where was he? Had he gotten himself lost again? What was he feeling right now? It wasn't uncommon for a couple to have a quarrel every now and again, but this I filed under an entirely separate category. He had betrayed me, and threatened to leave. It wasn't my fault, but both of ours. He and I would be on better terms had it not been for… but I was kidding myself. It had been my fault entirely.

I knew Zoro would return eventually. Luffy under no circumstance would leave his valued first mate behind, and the green haired man wouldn't leave the crew completely just because he had a fight with me, right? Zoro wasn't like that at all. But maybe he was; just how well did I know my lover? Yes, we may have shared our memories briefly in the River Chai, but it wasn't enough for me to finally get a good look at him. Were there things he had yet to tell me? I knew about Kuina, and his promise. Sometimes I couldn't help but notice he looked at me longingly, but he wasn't looking _at _me. Maybe he was imagining the deceased girl of his past. Did I really remind him that much of her?

I closed my eyes and cradled my doll to my chest, breathing deeply. I was making a big deal of nothing, I assured myself. I didn't have any reason to distrust the swordsman, and he wasn't one to dwell on those of the past, not for long anyway.

I wasn't sure when I fell asleep, but I was awoken by the gentle sounds of footsteps on the deck. I was comfortable where I lay, so I bloomed an eye on the rail beside me and scanned the lawn, looking for the source. I soon found the culprit, a figure darkened by shadows crouching near the swing. It was difficult to get a look at who it was from my position, so I allowed the spare eye to vanish and opened the other two attached to my face, slowly sitting up so as to not startle the figure.

"Zoro?" I asked quietly. When the figure didn't cease his movement, I asked again, louder this time. "Zoro?"

The person froze, not turning from where he was crouched on deck. He stayed that way for a moment, and I was about to get up and approach when the figure suddenly bolted for the side of the ship, launching himself overboard and hitting the surf with a splash, taking off across the sand and into the trees. I watched him go, sadness once again present in my heart. That man was such a coward.

I reclined once again into my chair. I had half a mind to retire to my real bed, but I wanted to be outside when Zoro returned. It was at that point I felt a tug in my gut, spreading all through my body until I had the feeling my entire body was being pulled in every direction. I winced, opening my mouth to cry out in pain, but my voice wouldn't work and all I could manage was a moan.

Something crawled its way up my throat, forcing my jaw open wide. My eyes felt suddenly very hot, the intensity spreading to my lips and traveling completely down my arms and legs to the tips of my fingers and toes. My body glowed a deep purple, as the thing in my throat rested at the back of my tongue.

The sensations were so uncomfortable and alien I didn't know how to react. It was obviously some sort of ability, possibly a Devil Fruit, but I was unable to retaliate back toward my invisible attacker. For once in my years I had no idea what to do except let whatever was happening happen and hope that the rest of the crew was okay.

A voice pounded into my eardrums, a strange voice I didn't recognize. It spoke in an unfamiliar language or dialect, chanting incessantly. A spell, or enchantment? Is that what was causing this?

"_Duša extrakcie… duša extrakcie…"_

Whatever was escaping through my mouth finally crawled free, and I let out an exhausted sigh as the strange feelings suddenly ceased, disappearing from my body and causing my body, which had arched to fight off the sensations, to slump back into my deck chair, skin spotted with sweat. My mind was fighting off the blackness that overwhelmed my consciousness, and I struggled to keep my eyes open.

I had just the time to see a figure, the one from before, approaching stealthily. Zoro never walked stealthily, rather defaulting to his stocky stride. He raised an object in his hand, and a glowing object levitating in the air gravitated toward it. A shadow of a smile flickered over the intruder's features, illuminated by the strange glow.

"Who… are…" I tried to say, but before I could finish the unconsciousness finally overtook my mind and I collapsed, the whisper of a single word escaping my lips.

**Well, that's it for chapter 2! I apologize again for it being so short, but I couldn't think of any possible way to make it longer. Please don't hate me. Anyway, please review! It brightens my day to no extent.**

**BTW, FUNimation recently released the newest Voyage to season 4! The DVD includes the train ride to Enies Lobby in English dub! Even if you don't like the dub, it comes with Japanese dub so please buy the DVDs and support FUNimation (You Should Be Watching…)**

**Coming Up: Chapter 3 – Fight Back!**


	3. Fight Back!

***holds up hands as shield and cowers in the corner***** Please! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I took so long to update! Things have been going on like exams and beta readings and college tours and work and trying to get this guy to ask me out and it's all so time-consuming I've barely had time to breathe! I swear! Please don't kill me!**

**To… uh… make up for my absence, I have somewhat lengthened this chapter from its original length. If it still seems short, you should've seen it when it was in its original form. Still, I hope it satisfies you. And it appears that this strategy I'm trying isn't working out so well. Maybe my updates are more spaced out than close together. Or maybe it's just me being lazy…**

**Enough of me talking. No one really cares about that, right?**

**Review Corner:**

**NinjaSheik – **Nin-san, I regret to inform you, that I left it as a cliffhanger. And I most certainly can end it like that. I must be on an evil rampage because I just keep putting these characters through some tough shit. Day-um. Maybe I should try out lemon to spice things up. I look forward to your next Akuma Love Voyage chapter, though I may not be able to read it if you post anytime soon; I'm going to a two-week camp to learn Japanese and it's complete immersion; we're not even allowed to bring books in English. So update soon and I'll review when I get back. Promise. ;D

**armaani – **"Dusa extrakcie" is "Soul Extraction" but yes, it is basically the same thing. Credits to Google translate. XD Tried to find a language that used English characters but also was a language most people wouldn't recognize. And as for Robin being a mommy, I'll leave that decision to you. I won't spoil it. Thanks for your review!

**Jabrax13 – **Maybe I worded it like that on purpose! Nah, I didn't. I guess in the back of my head I wanted Robin to be pregnant so it kind of came out that way. Whether she is or not is left up to you to decide; I won't dish out any heaping plates of spoilers. Unfortunately, you won't know until I explain it, and it'll probably be very complicated. Thanks for your review!

**DinieLuvYunho – **I don't want to give away any major plot developments, so unfortunately I'm not able to tell you anything. I will say, however, that it's going to be a turn of events you won't see coming. I'm probably being very mean right now by being so mysterious and introverted, but I hope you'll understand when I explain everything in future chapters. Thanks for your review, and enjoy the update!

**dukefan01 – **You're probably wrong. It's going to be hard to explain when I get around to it, but I know it will be not be something expected. And even Zoro is entitled to be a jerk every now and then, right? Thanks for your review, and enjoy the update!

**00000000000000000000Zero00000 – **A lot of people seem to think that. Whether or not your suspicion is true remains for me to know and you to find out. A secret makes a woman, woman. Enjoy the update!

**Broken Elsewhere – **Zoro often jumps to illogical conclusions and more often than not resorts to the worst case scenario first, which is part of the reason he reacted so harshly to what Robin had said. I don't want to reveal too much, but it does seem a lot of people are questioning if I made Robin preggers. Now that I reread it, it does seem that way. Oh well… but anyway, thanks very much for your review, it makes my day. :D

**Kojo (Guest) – **I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. It's a secret, and a secret makes a woman, woman. - I'll give you a cookie if you know where that's from. Thanks for your review!

**Guest – **I'm going as fast as I can, I promise!

**UltimateC3 – **Now that you mention it… I put Robin through shit. I'm as bad as Spandam right now! But it's all good in the end, right? They all survive (kinda) right? So maybe I'm not the spawn of Satan, just one of his extended family. Like his second cousin thrice removed or something. Actually, you just reminded me of a scene from the new Star Trek movie when Ahura and Spock are fighting and Kirk is like, "Oh my god, what is that even like!?" I suppose if you're not a Trekkie that's a bunch of jibberish but the concept is the same. Thanks for your review!

**untied fate – **Well, I regret to inform you that the reason for Zoro and Robin's fight will not be revealed until a while. I hate to make you wait, but it's just the way it is. But I think it'll be something you're not expecting. Thanks for your review!

**Zbluez – **I kinda did take my time, didn't I? I suppose it's 1 part business and 1 part laziness. I suppose it is kinda weird having something crawl up your throat, so I will go back and add that when I can… but for now, chapter 3!

**Pentastic – ***reels in fishing line* Ha! Another successful catch! I'll throw it in the batch with the others, but not before updating! Thanks for your support, and enjoy!

**ariahsop – **A lot of people are thinking Robin is pregnant. Did I write it like that? Oh man… well… maybe I'll go back and change it, but right now I'll preoccupy myself with the chapters to come rather than the chapters now. Thanks for your support, and enjoy the update!

**Gummiebear – **Thank you for your kind review! I'm always being told my IC-ness is top-notch, and I don't always see it sometimes, but things like this make me realize that you know what, maybe it really is that good. It's the author's nature to criticize their own work, and the reader's job to convince them otherwise. You're a hard worker. ;D I shall attempt to do the internet more favors by updating. Sorry I took so long, I'll try to be better!

**JusinAbel – **Thank you very much for your review! I'm sorry I took so long to update but it's been one crazy ride after another. Enjoy the update!

Chapter 3 – Fight Back!

"_We're going to fight to steal back what  
those four took from us. If we can't  
match them, then we'll never  
be able to live it down."_

_Roronoa Zoro_

_Zoro POV_

Women.

I would never understand them. They asked impossible questions and expect answers, but if the answer isn't what they want then they flip shit on you. It's a hopeless cause to try and defend yourself, and they won't even let you leave to cool off and then approach the situation in a calmer manner. What the hell.

I grumbled to myself, readjusting my position on the grassy knoll where I lay cloud gazing and wallowing in self-pity. It was a good way to pass the time and get a clear head. I had admitted to myself that I'd overreacted back there and the entire fight was probably my fault, but she was the one who provoked it by suddenly just coming out of the blue with it.

I guess I wasn't expecting it, is all. It's like being told the chick you met at the bar and spent the night with is pregnant, and you're just like… shit. It's not something you wanted to happen but it just… did. And now you're partially responsible, and you don't want to be. Looking back at it, I should have been happy for her. I should have been happy, but I was so scared of losing her. If she went through with what she'd said, then we would part ways. I may not be much of a romantic guy, but I don't know one man who couldn't bear to be parted with his woman.

I heaved a heavy sigh and sat up on my elbows, watching the ocean sparkling in the distance beyond a grove of trees beneath the cliff over which the knoll was situated. The sun would set soon, and the crew would probably be wondering where I was. But I couldn't go back now. I know I need to apologize, but so soon after my angry retreat would be awkward, at least for me, and I had to prepare myself beforehand. I could already see that sad look in her eyes, staring at me like I'd disappointed her, which technically I had.

Oh, shit, I'm screwed.

"Hey, Oji-san?"

I looked over, a tick mark appearing on my forehead. "Who're you calling old man, brat?"

The speaker was a tall boy probably in his late teens. He was dressed in slacks and a white sleeve-less shirt that hugged his skinny body, overlaid by a thin black vest. His skin was pale and sickly, but he held himself with pride as it to make up for it. His hair was a deep blue, the exact same color as his eyes. He stared at me like he didn't know who I was, which was a bit of a surprise considering this was the New World and the return of the Straw Hat pirates had been announced all across the oceans.

"What're you doing out here?" The boy asked, not moving from where he stood a few feet away.

I stroked the hilt of my katana, hoping he got the message to stay clear. "None of your damn business."

The pest didn't seem to catch the tone of my voice. "I'm making it my business."

"What's it to you?"

He looked to the ocean, a wind blowing his hair around his neck, and I noticed a thick scar running down the side of his neck and disappearing under his shirt collar. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

My mouth curved into a deep frown. _Bit ADD, isn't he? _"I suppose."

"I wish I could go to the ocean again someday," he said. "I traveled for a while on a ship before they dumped me her and took my dad away."

I wasn't interested in this kid's sob story. I stood and brushed off my yukata, striding away back into the forest behind the knoll. "Nice talking to you," I said by way of departure.

As I was about to step into the foliage, the boy spoke again. "Oh, Zoro-san?"

My guard immediately doubled, turning to face the kid again as I unsheathed the Wado Ichimonji partially from its sheath. He had turned to look at me as well, but he seemed a bit different. His eyes instead of blue were now a piercing green. "I would go back to your ship as soon as possible. A lot of bad things live on this island."

"What kind of things?"

The boy shook his head, smiling. I didn't like the smile. It was almost sinister, like he was plotting something really dangerous. "If you don't go to your ship, you'll never know."

I blinked. The boy was gone.

.o0o.

If there's one thing I've learned, don't trust teenagers. They're sneaky little bastards and will do anything to get what they want. It was unfortunate that about a third of the pirate crew I was a member of were teenagers, which only emphasized my point. Luffy and Usopp are still nineteen, and Chopper is seventeen (in human years anyway; I don't know how much that is for a reindeer). All three were conniving little nuisances who live to disturb my naps.

The mystery boy was no different. He failed to escape my mind as I wound my way back in the direction of the Sunny, hands tucked deep into my pockets. Was he like a soothsayer or something that was predicting my downfall? Or was he simply warning me that dangerous things live on the island that could potentially kill us? He appeared to me that he seemed the type to set the things on us in the first place.

I grit my teeth and shoved aside a branch. Whatever it was, a part of me wanted to believe him and go back to the Sunny right away and get the hell away from this place. Too many weird things had been happening lately, and ever since those weird puppets showed up, my mood had been growing darker. Was it influenced by the marionette? I don't believe in magic, but there was something about those puppets that didn't seem normal.

I stepped out of the forest and into the light, squinting as I found myself on a ledge staring straight at a setting sun. Damn, had I been walking that long? And what the heck!? On the next ledge over was the little pile of rocks I had been stacking to ease my boredom earlier today. Was the island rotating or something? God dammit, it was like the world was purposefully trying to keep me from going back. Fate seemed to enjoy playing games with me.

I turned around and headed back from whence I came, determined to walk in a straight line this time. By the time I had walked for maybe a good hour, the sun was already below the horizon and I had not yet reached the coast. This damn island was playing tricks on me. Already I had found my pile of rocks about four other times. I was ready to draw my swords and chop down every single goddamn tree until I saw the Sunny, but lumberjacking is not what my katana were made to do, and I wouldn't use them to quell my frustration.

So the next time I found the ocean, I made my way down until the waves lapped against my boots. I then set off across the water shoreline. This was an absolute foolproof way to stop the island from rotating. Sooner or later I would reach the Sunny, and if I didn't like what I found there, hell was gonna break loose.

I had time to think more as I strolled. I played over my apology in my head, scripting everything out until I liked it.

_Robin, I just want to say I'm sorry for yelling._

_It's okay, Zoro. I completely understand and I promise I won't ever, ever tell you something like that ever again. I won't even think about it without you saying so. I'll dispose of it right away._

_Thank you, Robin._

Short, sweet, and simple. Now all she had to do was follow the script and everything would go back to the way it was. No more scary news or confusing signals. All I wanted was to just go back to training and sleeping and eating and talking like usual. The way I hoped things would be for a while yet to come.

It was coming on midnight when I finally spotted the Sunny. It had drifted away a bit from the island, the gangplank lying uselessly in the water. All the lights were out, and through the dark I couldn't even make out the shape of whoever was on lookout. This made me stop. The anchor wasn't down, so the ship had no way to stay near the island. Franky was too careful about his ship to forget something as simple as lowering the anchor. And even if he had, the person on watch that night would have told him.

A wave of caution swept over me. The ship wasn't too far out; I would have no trouble swimming. I was just a bit unnerved as to what I might find.

_I would go to your ship as soon as possible. A lot of bad things live on this island._

There were a lot of things wrong with this picture. I used my bandanna to tie my swords to my head to avoid getting them too wet, and waded out into the ocean. I easily overpowered the waves and kicked toward the ship. The figurehead loomed out from the darkness eerily, like she had been abandoned and was silently weeping for her crew.

As I swam, rain began to drizzle across the water. I hadn't even realized it was overcast. This jarred me even more. Nami would have easily predicted the rain and had extra precautions made for the weather. None such could be found.

I drew alongside the ship, silently apologizing as I made small dents in her wood to serve as hand and footholds. Before boarding, I sat just below the railing and set my swords back into my haramaki, drawing the Wado and Kitetsu just to be sure. My Haki confirmed that there were eight individuals on board, all silent and still like the entire ship was under a sleeping spell. I didn't lower my guard, however as I lifted myself over the rail and on the deck.

The place was deserted except for someone collapsed on the opposite side of the deck. The darkness made it impossible to identify the person, so I approached hesitantly. The figure didn't move, even when I nudged the body with the toe of my boot. I sheathed Kitetsu but still kept the Wado firmly in my grip, and I knelt beside the figure.

I put my free hand on its shoulder, rolling it over until its face was revealed. The Wado Ichimonji clattered to the deck as clouds moved briefly to reveal the moon, rain still coming down. The light illuminated the deck, bringing to life the face of the individual.

"Robin," I said, tapping her face, trying to keep the panic in my voice under control. "Robin, it's me. You're gonna catch cold sleeping out here in the rain."

She didn't move. I knew her; she wasn't a heavy sleeper. In fact, she was the lightest sleeper I had ever known, probably due to her being chased by the government for twenty years. If she didn't wake to a simple tap, something was wrong. It may have been the rain, but she seemed to have been soaked long before this weather, like she'd run a marathon and sweated the entire time. Her skin was pale and a bit clammy, like all the life had been sucked directly from her body.

"Oi, Robin, not funny…"

_Dangerous things live on this island._

Oh shit.

"Luffy! Usopp! Shit-cook! Franky, Nami! OI!"

I found Luffy in the kitchen, spread-eagled on the ground. A brief investigation revealed his skin to be also pale and clammy, covered in sweat and gravy, the dish to which was clamped in his hand as if he had been in the middle of a midnight snack when he was attacked.

Franky was in the cola room. Brook had collapsed in the crow's nest. Usopp and Sanji were in their bunks. Chopper was in his infirmary. Nami I discovered in her map room, ink spilt over her treasured maps. Every single one showed the same exact symptoms as Robin and Luffy. It hadn't happed too long ago, either. Brook's tea was still warm. Nami's ink hadn't dried yet.

I hoped whatever had done this to my nakama was still on the ship. I had no way of knowing what condition they were in, and the best way was to ask the perpetrator. With each passing second my rage and confusion increased until I was a rampaging mass of muscle and power that no one wanted to cross. I searched the entire ship from stem to stern and examined my nakama again, looking for anything that could lead me to finding the criminal.

I was no detective. I didn't know what to look for. Was I supposed to find a magnifying glass and stroke my chin thoughtfully? I wasn't going to look like an idiot as I tried to mimic characters in Robin's books. So I relied on my naked eye, and through this I noticed that all my nakama did not have their puppets on them. And I couldn't find them in the bedrooms or anywhere on the ship. I had been right to suspect the damn things. And Usopp had been right to suspect voodoo. I didn't believe in magic, so the only logical conclusion I came to was that some creature here had some crazy power or, the more likely choice, _someone_ had a Devil Fruit ability.

"Damn," I said, opening the door to the women's room. "When I get my hands on this guy…"

I stepped inside. Something cracked, and I whipped around, katana at the ready, only to find no one behind me. I glared into the dark room, eyes narrow. Nothing. I stepped in again, and once again the crack came. I looked down, aiming the flashlight I'd picked up between my feet. The beam of light illuminated the shards of a coffee cup embedded in the stained carpet.

The cup I'd broken earlier.

Pressure built up behind my eyes. _No. Goddammit, no! Crying is a weakness. I won't show weakness, not when I'm the only one who can do something about this._

I ruffled through Nami and Robin's drawers, trying to find something like a handkerchief or a napkin or something. I finally decided to use a towel, and carefully set to work collecting all the shards to the cup into the cloth. With each piece I made a silent promise to my crewmates. I'd rescue them. I'd set things straight with Robin. I wouldn't complain. I'd become stronger.

The ship creaked. I froze, my eyes going to the door. My Haki stretched out through the wood, detecting a single figure beyond. My anger rekindled, and I dropped the pouch into my haramaki, standing silently. I approached the door and opened it, swinging open on oiled hinges. The rain was coming down harder now, and through the haze I could see a figure kneeling beside where I moved Robin's body to recline on her sun chair, shielded from the rain with her umbrella.

I didn't even have to step out into the open before the figure stood and turned, smiling up at me. I somehow wasn't surprised to see the blue-haired boy from before, raising a hand and wiggling his fingers like I was an old friend.

"I told you, Zoro-san," he said, his hand falling to his side as a sinister aura overcame him. "Dangerous things live on this island."

"What did you do?" I asked dangerously. "Think carefully; your answer will depend on your survival."

"Hooooooh," the boy laughed. "You can't kill me. You do that, you'll never get your friends back." He glared at me with a smirk, his eyes a flashing red. "See, I've eaten the Soul Soul Fruit."

"So you steal souls."

"Quite. But you see, my ability comes with a catch. I can steal souls, but I don't have anywhere to put them. Until I discovered this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out Robin's puppet, dangling limply in his hand. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw its eyes move. "I make puppets of my victims as a holding vessel. But it only works if I have some essence of the person. See, this particular one of Nico Robin has her hair I stole from a hairbrush."

My eyes narrowed. Wood. Herbs. Ink. Food. Items stolen from us in the middle of the ocean, where no one could get to us. Unless someone had been hiding aboard the Sunny, hidden out of sight. "What need do you have for souls?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out."

At that moment, Robin's soulless body suddenly moved, sitting up and turning to look up at me. Her eyes glowed a soft blue, and she looked at me dully like she had mutated into a zombie and didn't know who I was. Doors opened all around me, and the rest of my nakama shuffled out on deck, all with soft glowing blue eyes. They all advanced on me, shuffling like mummies, but I didn't let that fool me.

"Hold him," the boy said, and Sanji and Luffy latched onto my arms before I could draw a katana and fight back. Chopper clamped onto my legs in Heavy Point. The gravy was comically running in rivers from Luffy's body, but this was too serious to laugh. Franky approached from behind and wrapped his massive hands around my midsection, lifting me from the deck a few inches.

"Get a hold of yourselves!" I yelled, trying to shake them off me. It was useless, though; they had become as stiff and unmoving as the strongest metal that even I couldn't break. "It's me, Zoro!"

"They only listen to me," the annoying Ability User said, and held aloft my puppet. He smiled when he observed my widening eyes. "You dropped it. You should be more careful, Roronoa Zoro."

Something was happening in the pit of my stomach. An uncomfortable sensation I didn't like.

"_Dusa Extrakcie!"_

What occurred next was possibly the strangest thing, besides coming back to life, that had had ever happened to me. A bright light suddenly was emitted from my body, reflecting in the rain and blinding the Soul Soul user. He cried out, shielding his eyes with his hands. My crewmates – or the things that used to be my crewmates – were stunned into confusion, and I was able to wrench myself from their grip.

I ran to the railing, vaulting overboard and into the ocean below. My energy was completely drained from whatever power I had just produced, but I forced myself to think of it as training as I swam for shore. The light vanished, but it also seemed to radiate some sort of shockwave, because the water had begun to repel the Thousand Sunny out toward the open ocean.

"Roronoa Zoro!" I heard the boy's voice yell from the deck of the hijacked ship. "I will confront you again! See if you can rescue your friends. I'll be waiting!"

I dragged myself across the sand, breathing heavy. I sat in the rain-soaked sand, pelted with water, soaked to the skin as the Thousand Sunny sailed away, cloaked in the darkness of the night. I growled deep in my throat, glaring after the thieving bastard.

I had no qualms against him just standing there asking me questions on a grassy knoll. Annoyed, yes, but I possessed no personal reasons to hate the guy.

Shit just got real. He has dared to threaten me, steal my nakama's souls, and caused me to delay one of the most awkward moments of my life (I wasn't sure if this was good or bad, but if it was that guy, then it's definitely bad). He's made enemies of the wrong pirate crew, and if it took me an eternity, I sure as hell will fix this.

But first, shelter from this damn rain. Tomorrow morning I would find a way of this island and on to the next one. There had to be a village here somewhere.

I started walking.

**Ok, phew! I've finally gotten this chapter up for you! Please please please please PLEASE don't kill me. I'm on my hands and knees here.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! And thanks again for being so patient. I'm really trying my best to work quickly. I'm also trying to get some more personal projects done at the same time and learning Japanese (my family is having a foreign exchange student, and I'm taking language classes to see a bit of her culture…) and it takes up some time.**

**But I hope you'll stay with me throughout this, and I wish you all the best of luck on any future fanfictions you may be posting/updating. So until the next installment, **_**ja-nah!**_

**Coming Up: Chapter 4 – The Price of Zoro's Resolve**


	4. The Price of Zoro's Resolve

**This isn't one of my longer chapters, but it was all I could do while I spent two weeks in Minnesota learning Japanese. To all the Doctor Who fans out there, I can say **_**Bowties are cool **_**and **_**Exterminate **_**in Japanese. Uselss, probably, but incredibly cool.**

**Anyway, during rest and study time I jotted down bits of chapters in various places, and had to type it up before I could post this chapter. It was an interesting two weeks, and the feedback I received was good, so I thank everyone from the heart.**

**I think this chapter is a bit Zoro OOC… I wasn't exactly sure how his reaction would be, so I did my best. Well, let's just see what you all think, ne? Enjoy!**

**Review Corner:**

**UltimateC3 – **I don't think you're stupid. It was meant to take people by surprise. Actually, this chapter was inspired by a Teen Titans episode, when the Titans' souls are locked in puppets and the Puppet King uses the bodies to hunt Robin and Starfire who were switched in the process. So the zombie-walk-thing credit goes to that, but thanks anyway. :D Thank you for your kind review, and enjoy the chapter!

**000000000000000Zero00000 – **Ah, yes, I did. Lol, thanks for catching that!

**NinjaSheik – **I'm the most evil cliffhanger-writer on the planet (besides Rick Riordan; trolls by sending the entire freakin' fandom's OTP into Tartarus) As for Japanese camp, I didn't hear a lick of English for two weeks straight, because it was total immersion. Japanese food, language, culture the whole time. The first day was like… holy-crap-what-did-I-get-myself-into but after that the sensei were very helpful. _Namai wa Santoryuu3 desu. America kara kimashita. Jyu-nana sai desu. Ichiban suki na One Piece kyarakuta wa Roronoa Zoro desu. Ichiban suki na One Piece kyarakuta wa nan des ka? _:D

**dukefan01 – **Thank you so much for waiting, it really means a lot.

**Pentastic – **Yes, it kinda is like the filler arc, but also very different. This is much darker. I'll do my best to update quickly, and thanks for your review!

**Peachie . D – **Thank you very much for your kind review! I'm glad you've caught up on SoL, I missed your wonderful reviews. But life goes on, and I'm sure you were occupied. It happens to me all the time. Enjoy the update, _onegaishimasu!_

**Zbluez –** You thought Robin was preggo, right? PSYCHE! I hope that the real reason behind Robin and Zoro's fight will remain a mystery until the very end; to be honest, I'm stuck between two things that have the same basic problem so I don't have to change anything, but by the time it's big moment rolls around I'll have decided. Thanks for your review, and enjoy the update!

Chapter 4 – The Price of Zoro's Resolve

"_What a clumsy fool. When a man  
like you swallows his pride, it's  
always for someone else."  
- Dracule Mihawk_

_Zoro POV_

I was thoroughly pissed. How had I, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, come to being led through the woods like some sort of lost puppy? It wasn't my damn fault the old man had no sense of direction. After the third time he wandered off and found his way back again, he tied a rope around my waist and forcefully dragged me in the direction to the town. Cheeky bastard.

According to him, I was passed out in the sand as high tide was rolling in, and would have drowed if he hadn't woken me. He was just looking for credit, and I was too angry to argue. After losing my nakama to some overconfident soul-stealing brat, then putting pride aside to be towed behind a man older than dirt, my mood was sour. I was on my own again, and this time I didn't even have a cocky marine to take my frustrations out on.

"The town is just over the hill," the old man finally said, stopping abruptly so that I almost ran into him.

"So just keep walking straight," I said, and cut the rope that connected us.

"That's about it," he said. "Don't get lost, old whippersnapper."

I stared confusedly after him as he strolled away, fishing gear slung over his shoulder. _He _was warning _me _not to get lost? And yet he was walking in the opposite direction. I silently vowed to never be a stupid old man. And not to mention he was bad at giving directions as he was at following them, because it took me another hour to find the damn town.

It was a tiny rundown place. Doors creaks on rusted hinges whenever the wind whipped down the narrow dusty roads. Very few people walked these streets, and the ones that did looked dirt poor, with dirty clothes and unshaven faces. They stared at me as I walked sullenly around, evidently unused to strangers. They steered clear of me, and ran away when I tried to ask questions. Was there something on my face?

I did, however, get someone to point me in the direction of the harbor, which was the best place to find a boat. Several teleporting houses and streets later, I finally made my way across the dock searching for someone to talk to.

"Oi, anyone here?" I called into the little shack I assumed was a check-in station of some sort. There was no one behind the molding desk, and the entire room from the empty billboard to the moth-eaten curtains seemed to be dark, lonely, and musty. Just like how the Thousand Sunny must be feeling now with her zombie captain and crew.

"Where can I buy a boat?" I yelled again into the darkness, and this time my call was met with the sounds of shuffling. A lantern flickered to life, casting a faint glow over the face of the shop owner, a tall man with shaggy red hair and dull eyes sunk deep into his face. For a moment I thought he was an escaped zombie from Thriller Bark before I beat more sense into myself.

"How can I help you?" he asked slowly, his voice ragged like he hadn't used it in a while.

"I want to borrow a boat," I said. "One that can sail to the next island with no problems. You would also happen to have a log pose, would ya?" I didn't know how to use a log pose; I had left that job to Nami. Seeing as she was unavailable, I might was well take the opportunity to learn.

"I don't have any log poses, and the ships we have are in disrepair. No one has visited this island in a few years, you see. Not since he came. Our village is dying."

"Sorry to hear that, but I just need the best boat you have. I'll make do."

"You got money?"

"Some."

The man eyed me hungrily. I supposed that my payment would fund his next meal. "Fine. Come this way."

I followed him out of the dilapidated shop and down to the docks where small two-person rowboats drifted half-submerged in the water. I may not be as good a shipwright as Franky, but even I could tell by the rotting needed something durable like a fishing boat or a legit sailing ship, not rundown rowboats.

"Where is it?" the man suddenly asked aloud, sitting hard on a worn post with a frayed rope wrapped around it. "My personal fishing boat; where is it!?"

I looked over. An empty lot had obviously held some sort of vessel within the hour; the rope mooring it to the dock showed signs of a fresh cut mark, and when I mentioned this discovering to the dock man, what little color was left in his face drained.

"It's her," he sighed, dropping to all fours and hanging his head between his hands. "She stole my boat."

"She?"

"A crafty girl who lives on the far side of the cliffs. Wasn't much trouble until her brother disappeared a few years ago. Fingers like feathers and you never realize what you lost until it's too late."

"Oh hoh," I chuckled, trying to keep the bloodlust from my voice for the old geezer's sake. "She sounds interesting."

The man apparently caught the tone and raised his head indignantly. He opened his mouth to retort, but his eyes fixed on something at my hip, and his mouth snapped shut again. I found this behavior awkward and was about to ask what caused this behavior when he suddenly explained it himself.

"Say, didn't you have three swords?"

I froze. My blood turned to ice in my veins as I adjusted my stance and indeed notice the sudden weight difference at my hip. An uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach. My eyes drifted to my sash, through which my katana were usually strung.

Shusui, check. Kitetsu, check. Wado Ichimonji, gone. Completely and utterly gone.

I let out a stream of words so foul Satan himself would have cringed. I whipped around, scanning the surrounding area with my physical sight and Haki, like the thief would still be in the general vicinity. She couldn't have gotten far, not with the Wado's weight. Yet there were absolutely no other people around; just me, the old man, and the empty dock.

I rounded on the pining old man. "Where did you say that girl lived!?" I screamed, practically spitting in his face. _NO ONE _touches my swords, much less a petty the thief. _Especially _the Wado Ichimonji, the very essence of my ambition. I was out for blood, girl or no.

The man flinched, but I was in too much a rage to consider the pressure I put on him. When he didn't reply immediately, I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him upward until I stared hard into his withering features, my entire body trembling with anger. "WHERE. IS. SHE."

"A-about f-f-four miles th-that way!"

I dropped him and broke into a sprint, my heart pumping like mad as adrenaline coursed through my veins. My mind zeroed in on her, that petty thief who thought she could steal from me, Roronoa Zoro, and wound my pride as a swordsman. That sword was precious to me, and if she thought she would get away with stealing it, then she was dead wrong. I would kill her. I will kill her. _I will kill her!_

"Wait, stop! Where are you going!? I'm pointing this way! You're going the wrong direction!"

.o0o.

I found the girl's house with very few inconveniences. The small single-story shack was isolated in a small grove of trees about a thirty-minute walk from a small stream flowing downhill from the apex of the tall hill. A well-worn path was easy to follow through the forest until it expanded into the glade. The house was a tiny dilapidated thing leaning like a drunken sailor, only big enough for two, maybe three people at most to live comfortably. An overgrown garden sported a few haphazardly grown tomatoes and assorted other garden-type foods. Through the cracked glass of what used to be a window, something moved.

I drew Kitetsu and approached cautiously, stepping around the strewn farm equipment. I was unused to fighting _Itoryuu _with the cursed blade, but it was the one I wanted to use to cut down this cheeky bitch. My rage was insuppressible and probably over the top, but I'd had a rough two days, and all that frustration and despair would be taken out on that poor soul inside the house. I knew that Robin would hate to see me like this, and for a moment I hesitated on whether or not to actually kill this thief. But right now, Kuina's sword meant more to me than anything, and I needed it back.

With a flick of the sword, the door flew inward, crashing into a cabinet of chipped dishes. The china crashed into a thousand pieces as it shattered against the dusty floor, scattering the rats. The inside was half lit with oil lamps and candles, not bright but enough to see by. The house seemed immensely cramped, like the outside didn't do the place justice. A small kitchen with a grease-stained stove and oven was to the left, a one legged stool propped against an island tabletop where a plate of mush sat half-eaten. A couch was pushed up against the far wall, made up with sheets and a pillow. At the head of the couch was a large wardrobe with a door missing, and inside I could see assorted trinkets like pocket watches and candlesticks.

I smirked. This was definitely the house of a thief. And she was somewhere close by.

"Oi, girlie," I called. "Come out right now with my sword and I'll spare your life." The silence of the house roared in my ears. A rat scurried between my feet and climbed up the stool, diving into the meal left in easy reach. A fly buzzed by my ear. "I'm going to count to three," I said sternly when I received no direct answer, raising my blade and licking my lips like a wolf that just zeroed in on his prey. "If you don't come out, I'll find you."

Still nothing.

"One."

The rat squeaked.

"Two."

Wind rattled the shutters.

"Three."

A door opened somewhere, and tentative footsteps slowly approached from my right. I looked down a dark hallway lit by a single candle, through which I could see an approaching shadow, slim and short.

"Good girl," I said. "Now where's my sword?"

Quick as a flash, the figure vanished. Someone jumped on my back and used one hand to grab Kitetsu's hilt while the other captured the blade, wrapping their legs around my stomach and pulling back until the sharp edge was pressed against my throat. "Don't move," a girl's voice whispered. "Or your head will roll."

"Ha," I chuckled. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

I suddenly threw the arm holding Kitetsu's hilt forward, simultaneously using my free hand to wrench her legs from around my midsection. I ducked, and the girl's body sailed over my head as her position on my back was suddenly thrown off balance. She instinctively let go of my katana and landed with a thump on the dirty floor, a feminine grunt escaping her lips.

I lowered Kitetsu's blade over her face, and she opened her dark eyes to stare defiantly at me. In the dim light of the house, I could somewhat make out dark green – almost black – hair pulled back into a high ponytail with slightly curled bangs hanging on either side of her young face. Her left hand was bleeding a bit from where she had grabbed the katana blade, her blood pleasing to the cursed sword. "You have something of mine," I told her. "I want it back."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she spat coldly.

"You most certainly do," I hissed, growing impatient. "Down by the docks earlier today, you stole my white sword. It's important to me, and I want it back. If you don't tell me where it is, I'll tear this entire place apart."

"You have three swords. It won't matter if you lose one."

"I use _Santoryuu;_ three-sword style. It doesn't work if I don't have three swords."

Her expressed twisted a bit. "I don't know if you can tell, _Mr. Swordsman,_" her tone turned icy. "But I don't have a lot of money. You're rich enough to afford three swords. Go buy another one and leave me alone."

"I don't think so."

We remained like this for several minutes. She didn't say anything, but continued to lie on the floor staring coldly upside down at me, and I reciprocated her gaze with equal if not more ferocity. This girl wasn't fazed in the slightest at her imminent death, so I'd give her points for that, but her spunk was grating on my nerves, which wasn't the best position to be in.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she said, "You're strong, right."

"Very."

"How strong?"

I was a bit miffed at the disbelieving tone. "Strong enough to be in the New World. I'm the man who will become the world's greatest swordsman and surpass Dracule Mihawk."

"So you're a pirate."

"And if I am?"

"What's your bounty? Where's your crew?"

I was put off by the interview, but if it helped this girl decide that I was superior, then so be it. "One hundred twenty million belis. And I'm not a captain. I'm a Straw Hat pirate, under Monkey D. Luffy."

Her eyes widened a fraction of a degree. "You're Roronoa Zoro."

"Damn straight," I confirmed. "And I need my sword, if you please."

She seemed to be deep in thought for a brief moment before she closed her eyes and curled her lips into a sinister smile. "Perfect."

My eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you yammering about?"

She opened her eyes again, staring at me with an eerie, cunning and crafty light in her eyes. I was suddenly overcome with a strange sensation, like I was staring at Nami when she heard the word _treasure._ "I'm not _yammering, _Roronoa-san. I'm _negotiating._"

"I'm not agreeing to any of your terms, bitch."

She wasn't faltering. She slowly raised a hand and pushed Kitetsu's blade from her face and sat up, not turning to face me as she patted the dust from her T-shirt. "I think you will. Because what I'm proposing is fairly easy to go through with."

I crossed my arms. This girl was confident I wouldn't kill her. And she was partially right; I wasn't in the mood for siphoning through the junk that was scattered through this hovel. It would be far easier to beat the Wado's location out of this girl. I watched her with a careful eye as she stood and faced me, the top of her head barely reaching my shoulder.

"I know what you want," she said, a sympathetic breath underlying her normal intellectual and annoying voice. "I have an eternal log pose to the next island. I stole the old man Yamamura's boat, so I have a sturdy vessel. I have valuable items worth a lot of beli. I have your sword. I have the information you need to survive the upcoming weeks."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. "What do you want?" I growled, tapping my fingers against the opposite bicep impatiently.

"You have to take me with you."

That certainly was _not _what I was expecting. I felt my jaw open slightly, indicating my surprise and astonishment. I had been waiting for the cash payment Nami would offer, or the harem ero-cook would have bargained, or something other than what she said. "I have to do _what?"_

"I know what happened to your ship," she said. "I was following him, the one who attacked your crew. I didn't know one of you got out of there; usually no one survives. I stole Yamamura-san's boat because I didn't want you to leave without me. You looked strong enough to take him out, so to lure you over here I stole one of your swords. I knew who you were and what technique you used, and I purposefully played dumb."

I wasn't sure what to do with this information. At the mention of the perpetrator of my situation, my rage flared again, and I roared, "You know who he is!? Tell me!?"

She crossed her arms stubbornly. "I told you I would tell you everything once you give me your word that I'll come with you. I have my own reasons for going after him, reasons you don't need to know about. I've done this with two other guys before you, but they weren't strong enough. You… you have something precious on that ship, don't you?"

My heart skipped a beat. _Robin._ Alone, her soul trapped in a tiny wooden doll as her body became a slave to some demented puppeteer.

"I can see it in your eyes," the thief continued. "You'll do anything to save your crew. All I want is to come with you."

I studied the girl, probably a year or two younger than Luffy. About average size, small bust and narrow hips. Her shorts were loose around the waist, as if they were meant to fit a woman much older. The shirt looked to belong to a man, tied in the back to better fit her. She certainly looked no worse for wear, and made up for her disheveled appearance with a head held high and a commanding voice.

A log pose, a boat, my sword, and information, all for one tiny passenger. It was ridiculously tempting. I couldn't see any other way around it. Nami was way better at haggling than I was, and I figured there was probably a loophole I was missing, but my strained brain failed to detect it. This wasn't the first time I had "teamed up" with a female thief, and from experience, they often robbed you blind of ship and money, sailing off with the goods. I wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of repeating the process, but this time, Robin was at stake, not to mention the Wado Ichimonji and my dream.

I curled my lip, wiping the blood from the blade and sheathing the protesting Kitetsu. With my thumb and forefinger, I pinched the bridge of my nose as a headache pounded against my skull. "Fine."

"Shake on it."

I looked at her small hand, covered in callouses and scrapes, held out toward me. The girl's expression was firm, defiant, and unless I was mistaken, a bit nervous. I grudgingly put my pride aside and took her small hand in my own large one, and we moved our joined arms once in unison, our pact complete. For the first time, a smile pulled at the girl's lips. "Great. We'll set sail tomorrow, Roronoa-san."

"First, my sword."

"I didn't say you would get it back immediately," the girl smirked. "I'll hold on to it to ensure that you keep your end of the deal."

Loophole. Found it. "Bitch!"

She laughed. "Name's Keiko. We're partners from now on!"

I moaned, all the energy draining from my limbs as it dawned on me what I had suddenly gotten myself into.

_Whatever the case, _I reasoned wearily to myself as the Wado Ichimonji was retrieved from behind the cabinet of dishes I had destroyed with the door. _I have everything I need to rescue my nakama. And Robin. And on my own life I swear I'll save them._ I stared longingly as Keiko tied a sash to the Wado's hilt and scabbard, looping it around her chest so the sword rested comfortably against her back. _The Wado Ichimonji in exchange for my friends. A price I'm unwilling to pay, but for the sake of the crew, it's necessary._

_Forgive me, Kuina. But I'll definitely succeed and continue our dreams._

**So… as for that chapter, it's completed. Please leave a review if you have time and tell me how I can improve this chapter for future readers; I feel like there's more I could do with this but nothing is flowing right now. This cold I suffer from is dulling my senses as I review this one last time, so I may have missed a few things.**

**Thanks for reading, and I sign of this chapter with the next's title!**

**Coming Up: Chapter 5 – Setting Sail**


	5. Setting Sail

**Okay, let me explain. I don't really have a valid excuse for my absence, except that I just wasn't in the mood for writing! No matter how I tried, I couldn't get the fingers to move. And for that I sincerely apologize.**

**But besides my apparent unwillingness, I was also busy learning Chinese and performing in a show, so I had very little time. And now my college search is getting more intense. Now I'm just making excuses. I'll stop now.**

**Anyway, yes, this chapter may seem **_**really **_**short, but it has a lot of information in it. I wasn't planning on revealing this so early, but this would definitely have been a useless chapter had I not.**

**Review Corner:**

**00000000000000000000Zero00000 – **I was aware Zoro was being OOC, and I see where you're coming from. But Keiko had to have some sort of leeway against him, because that's just her personality, and it was the best I had at the time. Either way, thanks for your review!

**NinjaSheik – **I don't think Zoro wants to be hugged right now, considering this random girl is getting her dirty hands all over his precious sword and there's nothing she's gonna let him do about it. And Keiko's role is to make her unlikable. Actually, she's based on me a little bit. Thanks for your review!

**The Wolf and the Wildcat – **You'll have to read and find out what happens to the poor Wado! I originally had it being Kitetsu, but then I thought it would hit him closer to home if the Wado was stolen. :D Thanks for your review!

**UltimateC3 – **Keiko is kind of like Robin in this story, background-wise anyway. She has her personal reasons for doing things, and doesn't really tell anyone about them until the very last crucial moment. I appreciate your review!

**ScorpionsBane – **I don't plan to abandon this fic, but it will take a long time. I'm not getting as into it as I had previously hoped. Thanks for your review!

**dukefan01 – **Hopefully, Keiko won't be a "jerk girl" for long. Thanks for reviewing!

**shadowangel9999 –** Yes, yes, and yes again. Yeeeees. His sword, his precious, precious sword. Well, I guess he can use this time to practice his _Nitoryuu._ XD Thanks for reviewing!

**animhey (Guest) – **It's hard to add ZoRobin into this without kind of misleading from the story plot, but I'll try to get some in this chapter to appease you. :D Thanks so much for your review!

**Enjoy the newest chapter!**

Chapter 5 – Setting Sail

"_You came without fear. Don't have  
any regrets, no matter what  
happens. This is the duel  
you wanted."  
- Monkey D. Luffy_

Zoro POV

It was still dark when we left the cabin the following morning.

Keiko, despite being a growing pain in my ass with her attitude, proved actually quite resourceful. I gave her ten minutes to pack a bag of belongings, and when she returned with a single change of clothes, a hairbrush, toiletries and a small basket of food, I admitted myself a bit speechless. Sailing with Nami and Robin had given me a stereotype that women all demanded twenty changes of clothes, six pairs of shoes and two bags of makeup for a weekend getaway. This girl packed _light._

Keiko rummaged through the cabinets for anything she may have overlooked before leading me to the small pond in which she had hidden the boat she had stolen from the old man at the shipyard.

It was indeed a simple fishing vessel, a few feet larger than the ship Luffy and I sailed on when we first started our journeys in the East Blue, though this one was outfitted with a small cabin with a refrigerator for storing fish. This Keiko used to keep the food fresh. Scattered over the deck were various pieces of fishing gear, like nets and lobster traps and other things I didn't know how to use.

We shoved off from the small pool and through a tributary that fed into the larger river I had followed to find the cabin. I took charge of the wheel while Keiko called out directions from the front, though for some reason, after she mixed up left and right and almost got us capsized, she started shouting out opposites, and I learned to go the opposite way she called out to keep us alive. I was never good at steering, but I was the only one between us with real sailing experience, so it was my job.

I could see the ocean through the trees not long through the journey down the river, and the transition from fresh to salt water was a smooth one. A gust of wind filled the frayed sail and pushed us farther to sea.

Staring at Keiko's back as she stood at the front of the ship, I suddenly had half a mind to chuck her overboard and take back the Wado by force, but the notion that she still had information I needed held me back. When I was sure that nothing bad would happen the second I let go of the wheel, I joined the female and made myself comfortable amongst the fishing supplies.

"So you have the log pose," I muttered, folding my arms behind my head. "So set us going where we need to. You claim to know where they went."

Keiko glared at me. "Don't think just because you're older that you can tell me what to do."

"I'm not thinking it. I'm saying it. And it's not because I'm older; it's my crew that was kidnapped, so therefore I'm in charge of this ship."

She grumbled to herself and stomped to the helm, and I could feel the ship alter its course a bit.

"And now I want the information I was promised," I said as Keiko returned, sitting herself in a chair and beginning to prepare a fishing rod, her fingers moving swiftly and skillfully. It didn't seem to me like she had any intention to sleep. "What do you know about this guy and his freaky powers?"

Keiko's movements slowed a bit and a faraway look dawned in her eyes. She was silent for a few minutes before, "Can't it wait until light? It'll take several days to reach the next island. We'll have plenty of time."

As if on cue, a huge yawn escaped my lips, and my eyelids grew heavy. "Suit yourself," I mumbled. "You're on watch duty."

"Yeah, yeah."

.o0o.

"_Roronoa Zoro, you get back in here right now!"_

_Robin's shrill voice grated in his ears, piercing his eardrums and making his head ring. He ignored her, much to her chagrin, and strode purposefully toward the door. He knew he was overreacting, but she didn't need to be aware of everything he was feeling. Why should she even care?_

_She tried to stop him, blooming a hand from the floor and wrapping it around his ankle._

_His temper flared, and he glared menacingly at her. "You're either brave or stupid to try and stop me," he said, fully aware of the poison lacing his tone. He could see the hurt and anger in her eyes, and guiltily relished it. "You're a smart woman, Robin. You decide which you are."_

_Let me alone, he thought, still staring intensely at the woman whom he had claimed as his. Why can't you just let me alone?_

"_I told you because I knew you could trust me!" she yelled, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes, though she didn't even seem to be aware of it. "Was I wrong to confide in you first before telling any of the others!?"_

_The thought of what had spited our argument spurred his raging emotions into a frenzy, his fingers itching to draw the katana. He resisted. No matter how angry he was, he wouldn't draw his swords on a fellow crewmember, whomever they may be. Just the knowledge of that little object tucked in the drawer's existence made him clench his fists. "Maybe you were," he growled. "Maybe I was better off not knowing."_

_She tensed as a shudder shook her body. Robin grabbed the coffee cup sitting on the bedside table and threw it with all her might. His hand rose automatically, catching the cup before it did some real damage. He ignored the scalding liquid, nd dropped the cup on the carpet, the broken shards of what he knew was her favorite mug clinking as they collided with each other._

"_Don't you dare walk out that door!" she warned, and he was fully aware of the power the woman possessed. He knew exactly what she could do. But if she _qould _do it was another matter, and he knew she wouldn't follow through with her threat._

"_You get rid of it," he said. "Or you get rid of me."_

_He made a point to step on the coffee mug shards before slamming the door behind him._

.o0o.

I woke to the smell of smoke. My first thought was that Sanji was cooking bacon. Then I remembered that bacon doesn't smell like fish.

Peeling open my protesting lids, bright sunlight invaded my pupils and nearly blinded me. Wincing, I shaded my eyes with a hand, staring at the sparkling horizon as the sun slowly rose above the glittering ocean. I suspected the time to be about nine o'clock.

I let out a deep sigh, reaching inside my haramaki to draw out the small towel of mug shards I had collected in Robin's room prior to my escape. The pieces were stained brown, the sharp edges glinting wickedly at me, as if reminding me of the consequence of a lost temper. I picked up two of the larger pieces and fit them together as a puzzle, a small smile quirking my lips as the two pieces fit perfectly together, the small crack which divided them disappearing as they were united once again into a single unit.

A wave tipped our boat, and my grip on the shards was lost. The crack reappeared again, separating the pieces as Robin and I had been separated. I was willing now to admit I was at fault, but fate was tricky. Had we not fought, I would probably be locked inside a wooden dummy, too, and then no one would have been able to rescue us.

I wrapped the pieces once again and secured them in my haramaki, scanning around for the girl I had been forced to bring along. I quickly located her through the window of the cabin. The smell was of breakfast, a small and controlled fire cooking the fish she had apparently caught last night.

I stood with aching joints and entered the cabin. Keiko turned as my entrance caught her attention, and I stopped short. Instead of my initial observation of her dark green hair, it was actually a deep royal-blueish color, and her eyes were a shimmering green. "Your hair," I heard myself say.

"What about it?" She shoved a plate of smoked fish into my hands.

"It's blue."

"And yours is green. How expensive was that hair dye?"

"It's not dyed! It's natural!"

"So's mine."

I eyed her. "I guess I was just put off a bit. That guy with the powers has blue hair almost the same color."

It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw her tense. "Yeah. I'm sure he does."

Her behavior wavered the two days we spent together on that small ship. Whenever I mentioned the blue-haired menace, Keiko would freeze for a fraction of a second before coming up with some excuse to avoid telling me whatever she knew, like pickling the pickles or mending the sail. I may not be a cook, but even I knew you couldn't pickle pickles. I was slowly losing my patience, for she had yet to hold up the entirety of her end of the deal.

Finally, as Keiko was sloppily cleaning the dishes after a small breakfast in a way that would give ero-cook a heart attack, I blocked the door with my body, shielding the sunlight from penetrating the small room. The girl turned indignantly as she felt the rays vanish from her back.

"Oi, move."

"No."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because you haven't held up your end of the deal yet."

"Sure I have. You have a ship and a log pose and even a chef."

"A half-assed one," I muttered, for once in my life wishing that the Dartboard chef was in proper condition to cook.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY!?"

"I said you're a half-assed cook!" I yelled. "And I don't give a damn right now about the ship or the log pose. I want the information you've been putting off telling me about for the past few days. According to you we'll land at an island tomorrow afternoon, and I need to know what the hell I'm going up against!"

Keiko's eyes narrowed. "Move."

"No."

Her fingers curled. "Out of my way."

I didn't budge. It was times likes these I wish I possessed some form of the King's Haki, just to intimidate her a little.

The girl's lips twitched, her hands shaking as an internal war raged in her mind. _To tell or not to tell. _She had better tell, or she would have a pissed pirate as an enemy in the middle of the goddamn ocean.

Keiko seemed to come to this conclusion as well, and she finally consented, leaning against the countertop. "Fine," she sighed. "You win."

"So," I demanded. "What's the guy's name?"

"Yusuke," she said. "Or at least it was."

"Was?"

She heaved a breath. "Actually, the body's name is Yusuke. The soul possessing him is called Arrow. About twenty years ago, Arrow-san was this really nice old man, or so my grandpa said. He was a bounty hunter in his youth, but after a pirate got one of his legs, be became a trader of ceramics on Raxim Island, the one where we met. He was always so helpful and kind, but my grandpa said that he had one fatal flaw.

"Arrow-san was obsessed with immortality."

"Who isn't these days?" I muttered to myself, thinking back to Warship Island back in the East Blue with Apis and all those dragons.

"He said that immortality was by surviving by mind and soul, and not by body. In other words, the body can die, but as long as the soul is alive, then that is living forever.

"Arrow-san was eighty when he found and ate the Soul Soul fruit. It was on a pirate ship that had sunk off the coast of the island, and he couldn't resist reliving his bounty hunting days. He sent a group of divers out to collect any sunken treasure. Of course Arrow-san took the fruit himself. I don't know what happened afterward, but apparently with his new powers he caused a lot of mischief. I'm not exactly sure what kind though; my grandpa died and I never heard the end of the story.

"Anyway, Arrow-san died not long after. Everyone said that he was gone for good, and good riddance. But my dad wasn't fooled. He was sure that Arrow-san was still alive. He went out one day while my mom was pregnant with me, and he never came back. There were rumors of course, and as I grew up the rumors drifted away, and my dad was forgotten.

"But two years ago, a man came to the island. He was old, super old. Like _really, really, really _super old. I had no idea who he was; we hardly ever got visitors anymore, not since Arrow-san died and his business perished. The geezer hobbled into town and approached me as I was buying apples and asked me where my parents were. I told him that my dad disappeared and my mom died last year. Then he asked if I had any siblings, and I told him I had a brother. The man smiled and walked away. Never saw him again."

Keiko studied her soapy hands. "I realize now that I probably just signed the island's death warrant with those words. Cause the next week my brother went missing. The blink of an eye, gone. The youngest male on the island, vanished. I was left alone in what used to be the house we shared."

I was starting to get an idea for what was going on here. This Arrow guy's body died, but he transferred his soul to Keiko's dad when he vanished. And then her brother goes missing, too. Hold on…

"Wait… are you saying…?"

She looked at me, her eyes daring me to make her say it. I dared.

"So your brother…"

"Yeah. Yusuke is my older brother. And he's possessed by Arrow-san's spirit."

The only sound now was the gurgling of the ocean as it lapped against the small boat. The pieces were clicking in my head now, slowly falling into place.

Arrow had been a bounty hunter in his youth, and old geezers always want to do what they did in the past, but because he lost a leg, he had to retire from bounty hunting. But now he can transfer his soul to anybody, and resume his first career. So he attacked our ship, kidnapped the captain and 80% of the crew, and would be heading to a marine base to turn them in.

Luffy, with his four hundred million belis. Nami with sixteen million. Usopp with 30 million. Sanji with seventy seven million. Chopper and his fifty. Robin with her eighty million. Franky with forty four million. Brook and his thirty three million. In all, 680,000,050 belis. One of the most expensive pirate crews in the New World. And they are all at Arrow's mercy.

A part of me wanted to feel remorse for Keiko's brother's situation, and I realized that Keiko's reason for coming was wanting to save her brother. For a moment, she reminded me of Luffy, not caring about his own safety, if it would only rescue his brother and best friend from execution. With how that story turned out, I could only imagine what might happen to the depressed teen sitting on the counter top a few feet away.

I didn't want to think about that.

"Fine," I said, retreating from the door to let her out of the musty make-do kitchen. "You do whatever; I'll finish up."

She looked up a bit surprised at me, but not for long. Her usual bitchy demeanor suddenly returned, and she threw a punch at my shoulder. I sidestepped easily. "Don't go easy on me out of pity!" she yelled. "You worthless moron!"

"Who are you calling a worthless moron!?"

"You, blockhead!"

"Go die in a hole."

She stuck her tongue out at me and turned away, but not before I caught the shadow of a genuine smile on her lips.

**Okay, now that I'm done, you guys will be nice, right? No throwing tomatoes at me for a bad chapter? Please? No? At least let me change clothes…**

**Thanks for sticking with me and my infrequent updating schedules. I have decided that after this fic, I'm going to take a hiatus from writing One Piece and head over to my second favorite anime now, **_**Detective Conan. **_**I have a really good plot lined up for that, and I'm looking forward to it. But first thing's first, I have to finish this.**

**Coming Up: Chapter 6 – What It Means to Live Forever**


	6. What It Means to Live Forever

**Sorry if this chapter isn't as great as the other ones also. I think I'm losing my touch when it comes to this, or maybe I'm just not very enthusiastic. I'm not sure what the cause is, and I hope I can identify it. Am I losing interest in the fandom? Absolutely not. **

**However.**

**Due to a recent plot bunny for **_**Detective Conan**_** that has practically been stabbing at my brain the entire time I've been trying to finish this fic and causing me to write drabbles on that rather than this, I have come to the painstaking decision to put the remainder of this fanfiction up for adoption. I'm afraid that I won't be able to update it at all, and it will just sit there unread and unappreciated.**

**If you are interested in adopting this fic, please PM me with a good reason for why you think I should hand it over to you, and if you're picked, I'll reply with snippets, shorts, and ideas I had for finishing it. I'll announce the adopter when I've chosen.**

**I really hate doing this, but I'm afraid it's the only way to keep this story alive.**

**Review Corner**

**Wintermanv3 – **I'm quite saddened to say I'm unclear what you mean when you say, "has someone been watching a certain anime lately". Could you perhaps inform me as to what anime it is? Of course, I may know what it is and not have caught the reference, which saddens me further. In any case, I appreciate your review, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**NinjaSheik – **I just threw it in there last minute to make the chapter longer. Otherwise it would have been SUUUUUPER short. Yes, I do have a college in mind that I definitely want to go to, but it's all the way in Wisconsin, where it gets really cold, but I don't care because it has everything I'm looking for. AND MORE. Now my parents are just worried about financial aid. XD Thanks for the review, and enjoy!

**armaani – **How is Tough Trials coming? Is your summer was just so difficult that you can't even write? I know how it is. :D I know Zoro was un-Zorolike… I think I'm losing my touch when it comes to the show. I need to get back into it ASAP, but first I need to finish Detective Conan. Then I can get back in the swing of things. I didn't like the Battleship Island arc, but I threw it in there for grins. :D See? Grin. Thanks for the review!

**ariahsop – **ano… thanks? What little I could decipher of that. Enjoy the update!

**Peachie . D – **Good development? From my standpoint it seems to be moving very slowly. I'll definitely be delving deeper into Keiko's story as the plot thickens, so I'll let you hang on to that. Sorry to say Robin won't be coming in again for a while yet. Please enjoy this chapter!

**UltimateC3 – **Nothing can get between the Straw Hats. :D I understand bland reviews; I understand bland chapters. *shrug* Your patience has paid off, so please indulge thyself in this chapter!

**Gracling42 – **I have done that as well, so no harm done. :) It's good to see you, grace! As for the spark of their fight, that will be revealed in time.

Chapter 6 – What it Means to Live Forever

"_Inherited will, the destiny of the age and dreams  
of its people. These will not be stopped, as  
long as people continue to pursue  
the meaning of freedom, they  
will never cease to be!"  
-Gol D. Roger_

Zoro POV

The island first appeared as a black blot on the horizon, rising from the sea like the black tailfin of a sea king. Keiko's log pose had led us straight and true, without many complications, disregarding the cyclone in which we almost capsized, and the giant ravenous sea birds which we ultimately had for lunch, no thanks to the freeloader. The appearance of these gulls only strengthened my resolve that we were close to land.

My adrenaline was pumping as the island drew closer, anticipation that my nakama were near. My Haki was not as strong as Luffy's, so I couldn't scan the surrounding area for any signs of the Thousand Sunny and her crew, but a feeling in my gut promised their presence. My gut had never led me astray before.

"There's a small port town due west of here," Keiko said, coming up behind me where I stood near the back of the boat, leaning on the rail and watching the water merge back into one unit in our wake. "I doubt they would make port directly in the town, so I think our best bet would be to circle around the island until we find the ship."

"And what happens then."

Keiko was silent. "I dunno," she finally said. "Kick ass?"

I stared at her. She stared back. Not a word passed between us, and I got the feeling I was supposed to say something. I didn't, however, and turned back to look at the oncoming island. She scoffed and retreated to the other end of the boat, muttering about my rudeness. I paid her no mind.

We circled the island once, and saw no sign of the Thousand Sunny. Instead, we got a pleasant view of the island, which was impossibly split into four different temperate zones. The one that was closest to us seemed to be like a desert, with a dry, cracked surface and a cactus every now and then. No animals roamed about as far as I could see, and yet there seemed to be a small town of only two or three houses, so more like a family village than a town.

The next zone seemed tundra, pure white against the green needles of the pine forest. The brightness seemed such a contrast to the desert it made me go temporarily blind just looking at it. I spotted a wolf lurking amongst the forest, crouching behind a rock studded with lichen as it stalked an unaware hare. I could almost feel the cold radiating from the zone, and unconsciously pulled my yukata tighter around me.

The third zone was more of a temperate rain forest-y place, with tall trees with canopies that completely cut off the sky from the ground below. From seemingly nowhere, for there were no clouds, rain seemed to constantly pour in torrents into the undergrowth, the din managing to reach us from several a mile out. This twirked my lips, but I had seen so much stranger.

The final zone seemed fairly normal, mostly open plains with a thin tree here and there. It was easy to see straight across to its neighbor the desert, and across from it the tundra. It was almost asking for predators to lurk in the tall grass and stalk the herd of zebra roaming about in a huge clump near the center of the zone, as if afraid to venture near any of the others.

Certainly a strange island, but not unlike what was considered normal for the _Shin Sekai._

Keiko was dumbfounded by the peculiar clump of rock, and I suspected it being that she had never left her own island before, the concept of a landmass like this was completely foreign to her. Her mouth was agape, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say she stopped breathing.

"Oi," I said, jerking her back to reality. "Let's make port at that desert village we saw. Maybe someone knows something."

"Village? What are you talking about? It was this humungous city!"

"HAAAH? Is the sea air getting to you or something? There wouldn't even be a pub!"

"I'm telling you it's a giant city!"

She seemed adamant about it, and I really didn't feel like fighting. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just go."

Thirty minutes saw us pulling into the small run down port of the desert region, and upon closer inspection I unfortunately had to admit Keiko had been right. I saw more houses had been spread farther out, and contrary to initial inspection, the village seemed quite lively and wealthy, with shop venders and baying cattle and a roaring oasis in the center of the town.

We landed our measly boat and disembarked, staring about in awe.

"Told you," Keiko muttered.

"Oh, newcomers!" Yelled a jolly voice, and I turned to see a wiry middle-aged man approaching us, clad in a pure white business suit of sorts, his dark hair slicked back and his eyes enclosed behind sunglasses, though a huge smile was plastered to his face. "Welcome to our town! I'm the mayor, Hiro!" His voice was too cheerful, and it made me want to punch him.

He waited expectantly for us to introduce ourselves. When we didn't, Hiro continued. "Please have a good time! If you're able to see our humble city must mean that you're not pirates!"

"What do you mean?" My female companion asked.

"We have a magician in our village!" Hiro said proudly. "He cast a spell to make our town look dreary and ugly and not worth pillaging on the outside! We have never had a pirate attack in the year he's been here! We used to be attacked monthly!"

"Where can I find this magician?" I demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that! He leaves the island sometimes and we don't know when he comes back!"

"Great," I muttered. "Lots of help that is."

"But I can tell you where to find his hut!" The mayor chortled. "If you want him to perform a miracle, he'll do it for ten thousand belis!"

"And where the hell am I going to get that kind of money?"

"Shut up, Roronoa-san," Keiko punched me in the shoulder. It didn't hurt. "Thank you for your advice," Keiko addressed the mayor and bowed her head respectfully. As she and Hiro chatted it up, I narrowed my eyes at the growing throng of people crowding around us. It was making me uneasy, and I unsheathed Wado a bit to ward them off and as usual, it worked.

The mayor seemed a bit too willing to give away this information about their resident "magician." It was probably just some bastard with a Devil Fruit, but if it made these people happy then whatever. Still, I was a bit suspicious of this overflow of information. Shouldn't they be hiding from us? They don't want someone storming in and causing a ruckus, even if they weren't pirates.

"Hey," I said, interrupting the group. "Did you see a pirate ship off shore in the past few days?"

Hiro grinned that broad grin again, and I was reminded eerily of Granny Kokoro from Water 7 and that creepy constant-smile. "I sure did!"

"Did it have a lion figure head? And a skull wearing a straw hat on its jolly roger?"

Hiro paused as if remembering. "Yeah, yeah it did! Passed by last night, going toward the tundra region! I remember 'cause all the lights were out, kinda creepy! Like a ghost ship or something!"

I resisted the urge to whoop with a sudden rush of excitement. So that bastard _was _here! With that information alone I was superbly confident now in my ability to rescue my crewmates. And it was in the tundra region. How the hell had they managed to hide a ship as big and obvious as the Thousand Sunny?

"Isn't that your ship?" Keiko nudged.

Hiro's smile faltered a little. "Your ship!?"

"He's a bounty hunter," Keiko stepped in hastily, quickly catching herself. These people believed we, or rather I, weren't pirates, after all. "He's made the Straw Hats his next target."

That seemed to satisfy the mayor. "Well I wish you luck!" he said, and strolled away.

_That's it?_ I grumbled to myself, watching his retreating back. The crowd thinned as they lost interest in us, and I could finally focus.

"Let's find a bar," I said. "I need some booze."

She gave me a disapproving glance, but didn't try to discourage me. I soon found myself in an isolated tavern in the farthest and darkest corner of the desert city, only a little less grand than Alubarna (from what I remembered of it). Keiko didn't seem pleased with my choice, but it had few customers and less chance of us being recognized as pirates. I didn't feel like announcing to the entire island, and Yusuke, that we were here.

"So how are we gonna get to see this magician?" Keiko asked excitedly, sipping on her tall glass of water.

I downed yet another bottle and reached for my fifth. Or sixth. Or sixteenth. I lost count. "I was gonna leave that to you," I said, relishing the sweet fire that burned down my throat. "You're the one with the smooth talking. Besides, I'm recognizable."

"Because of your green hair?"

"BECAUSE OF MY BOUNTY. I worked hard to be worth that much!"

"I don't see why pirates considering it a social status to have a high bounty…"

"It's a display of power," I said. "How high your bounty is shows how much of an opponent you'll be, how strong you are, how difficult you are to defeat. It's a sense of pride amongst pirates, like our flag. Having your bounty raised is like a promotion in rank in the Marine system. If we don't keep working hard and rising in the world, how is Luffy going to conquer all the world's oceans? How will Nami chart her map? How will I defeat the greatest swordsman? How will Robin…?" I trailed off as memory of her flooded my mind.

"Roronoa-san," Keiko said quietly, staring at the ice in her drink. "What does it mean? To live forever?"

"Haaa?"

"I know that kinda seems random, but…"

I set down the alcohol bottle with a bang on the table, drawing an annoyed look from another customer. I shot them a glare, and didn't pay them any more attention. "Your friend Arrow has got it partially right," I said finally, having sat there for several minutes pondering my answer on a half-inebriated mindset. "Sure, a guy can be immortal. He'll never age, never die. He'll see the world passing right in front of him, his loved ones dying right before his eyes. He'll grow lonely, remaining the same when everyone else grows old. Living forever physically, without some kind of supernatural help like from a Devil Fruit or something, isn't gonna happen. But to live forever is not by transferring your soul to different bodies when yours gets worn out. That's just sick.

"Living forever is being great in the time you're alive, and leaving behind your legacy for others to follow. Being remembered through time, that's immortal. Making the history books. Your name burned into the mind of every living being. Your achievements, good or bad, remembered. It's what you do _during _your life that makes you immortal. How can you be remembered? What can I do to ensure my name will ring through heaven and earth?"

I stared at the liquid through the narrow nozzle of the glass bottle in my hand, as if entranced by the swirling colors, reflected through the glass by the light of the tavern. As I spoke, my mind drifted toward Kuina, who for sure would be immortal in my memory.

I didn't think Keiko was expecting such a deep and philosophical answer. She stared at me like I'd grown a second head, but smiled all the same. "Yeah. I agree with you."

"Why'd you ask?"

"I want to tell Arrow-san when I see him. That what he's doing isn't right."

"That won't work, but give it a shot."

"You're so pessimistic!" Keiko screamed and threw her water at me.

"ARGH!" I sputtered through the water dripping across my nose and mouth. "Brat!"

"You stay here," she growled, standing. Her pleasant mood a few seconds ago had suddenly hit a nerve, and now she looked ready to rip my head off. "I'm going to get information about this magician. I got the location of his hut from the mayor, but I want more facts before we go."

I stuck out my lower lip in annoyance and wiped my forehead with a napkin. "Whatever. Don't get lost."

"Like hell."

She left, leaving me alone, at the farthest table in the corner of the tavern, in the farthest tavern in the corner of the city, mulling over my own words.

**Yes. Yes that's it. I know it's still not good, but I just want to get it done and published. Remember, if you're interested in adopting this, just PM me. We'll work out the details of that later.**

**Like I said, I really hate to put it up for adoption, but with my school schedule and this Detective Conan fic that is dying to be written, this one will be put on the shelf gathering dust.**

**Thank you to everyone who supported me thus far, and the next update for this will be an author's note with the game plan. I really appreciate those who stuck with me through Stuff of Legends and the few chapters I could manage of this. I appreciate it.**

**What **_**was **_**coming up: Chapter 7 – It Can't Get Any Worse**


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